The 90-year old actor William Shatner is heading to space. He is best known for his role as Captain James Tiberius Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series. This Wednesday, Jeff Bezos, the richest man in America and owner of Blue Origin, will launch Shatner.
Star Trek's entire concept was utopian. It pushed the boundaries of progressivism, diversity and inclusion in television and science fiction. It seems absurd that Shatner would be associated with Bezos. Yet, capitalism and colonialism are so deeply ingrained in American culture that even sacred projects such as Star Trek or space travel cannot be ignored.
Blue Origin was founded by Bezos on September 2000. It aims to make spaceflight more affordable for those who can afford it. It began small, and slowly grew. In Texas, it first bought land. It now has 3,500 employees. The Washington Post, which is also owned by Bezos has published an extensive expos that exposes the toxic behavior behind the company's inability to compete with Elon Musks SpaceX. Blue Origin was described by one employee as "very dysfunctional." Its condescending. It is demoralizing. We can't move forward and are stuck with massive delays.
Space companies are funded by wealth from the destruction of smaller businesses and the exploiting of workers. Several workers made disturbing claims against Amazon, including that they were watched by intimidating guards dressed in neoNazi garb at one fulfillment center and had to urinate in bottles as they feared going to the bathroom. Blue Origin is therefore a product of the worst capitalism and a horrible start to civilian space travel. This process is one that Bezos, and most Americans, unfortunately, see as an act of colonization.
Blue Origin is supposed to be the antithesis to all that Star Trek is. In many ways it is. Star Trek's universe is one where humanity has overcome differences and created the United Earth Government. Later, a cross-species alliance was established under the United Federation of Planet. Humanity has eliminated all forms of poverty, currency, or capitalism. This allowed the United Earth Government (the United Earth Government) to use its resources more efficiently for projects such as space travel and dignity for all people on Earth.
Star Trek's majority of episodes are viewed from the viewpoint of Starfleet members, who are a federation agency that sends out peacekeeping and research missions to explore new frontiers. Starfleet's Prime Directive is a guiding principle which prevents Starfleet members from interfering in the development of other alien civilizations. Star Trek's Prime Directive and much of its politics are believed to be a response the interventionism of America in the 1960s. However, Jamie Saoirse ODuibhir, Tempest Magazine article, stated that Star Trek pretends not to be a colonial power. Instead of avoiding colonialism, it simply reimagines colonialism as something that benefits those who have been colonized.
Star Trek's original concept was clearly based on this colonial premise. Original pitch for the show was a space Wagon Train. Wagon Train, an older TV series that featured white settlers traveling in the middle of the colonization of the United States west frontier, was also known as Wagon Train. Star Trek continues a lot of this tradition. Starfleet's values and sensibilities are overwhelmingly Western, such as their obsession with Shakespeare.
Blue Origin is a representation of many of the problems that Star Trekians have overcome.
The prime directive feels right in line with west's colonial condescension history. It believes that supporting less fortunate people will eventually lead to war and collapse. The Federation considers itself to be superior to all other civilizations and coalitions. It is able to determine which planets are worthy of technology that can end poverty and hunger. Although there are many examples of violations of the Prime Directive that the show shows, the original series relied on Captain Kirk's white male bravado in order to defeat lesser peoples. He often used his physical strength as well as his sexual prowess when navigating complex situations.
Star Trek deserves much praise for its feats, such as the first interracial kiss on TV. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is just one of many iterations that have attempted to challenge and complicate the original show's politics. Modern capitalism and the desire for Star Trek to be sold to as many people possible have hampered many of the newer versions. Star Trek movies have lost their political character. They traded the morality and questions from the previous era for action scenes, and women who barely speak.
William Shatner is making an error by joining forces to Bezos. Blue Origin is a representation of many of the problems that Star Trek's people have overcome. While the original series has its faults, the premise of Blue Origin is better than that Shatner endorses with this venture. Star Trek was an attempt at painting a better future for humanity. Blue Origin is not a suitable company to represent a future that even remotely resembles the one Captain Kirk lives in.
